Kreise der Spiralen
by Merciful Idiot
Summary: Homura wakes up, only to find that all of her magical girl powers have disappeared. With such a huge disadvantage this time around, can she still save Madoka from her fate?
1. SAVE THAT CAT!

**I own neither Puella Magi Madoka Magica nor any of the fictional characters associated with it. **

**No, seriously, I don't. I'm not in any way connected to it. Not even with SHAFT. ****I'm being serious here. You have to believe me!**

* * *

Sunday, May 1st

Somewhere in this world, there is a cycle. A cycle that spins around again and again, in time, possibly unto eternity.

But this is no ordinary cycle, not one of formula or mechanics. No, not at all.

This is a cycle of **choice. **

The girl responsible for it, refusing to give up each time, possesses an unwavering will to save her friend. She made a deal with the devil, gained amazing powers, and created this cycle for the one purpose of saving her closest friend, whose destiny is to always die. Her mission had always been to change an unchangeable future, and even after having repeated the same month so many times now that she had lost count, she still hasn't given up yet.

She always has the option to walk away safely, and live a peaceful life far away from the city and the one girl she cared about.

She always has the chance to end this nightmare and begin anew, without any attachments to the old world.

But she will never take it.

Instead, at the end of yet another failure, she will always reach for the mechanical shield and click it, restarting her mission yet again. A cycle.

Yet even at the height of her potential, she cannot accomplish anything but failure.

And yet, there is no end.

To say that there is an 'end' would be to assume that this girl will eventually give up on her friend after so long. The human mind is flawed, but her unwavering determination to save her friend is something that will never ever change.

Because of this, it can rival even the most miniscule of possibilities. Infinity dictates that within infinity, anything can happen regardless of the chances. By this logic, even a circle with a perfectly logical circumference can spiral out of control, as nonsensical as it may sound to a human being who has never attempted to fully understand the concept of 'eternity'.

In other words, within infinity, what is seemingly an infinite circle may end up being finite.

And in that unlikely event, should the details of this circle ever change by even the slightest note, should it even dare spiral _inward_s instead of _outwards_, the future that the circle dictates may just change forever.

It won't even be a proper circle anymore, once infinity overtakes it. It will have become a _circle of spirals._

_*click*_

And that is how the story of Akemi Homura goes.

* * *

Wednesday, March 16th

Another failure.

Homura's eyes reluctantly opened up, only to find that there were tears in her eyes. Wiping them away, she shook her head as she pushed away her own personal feelings.

She had learned a lot this time, so she wasn't about to let this new information go to waste. With each reset, she was getting closer and closer to her goal. She _had _to be.

So there was no way she was going to give up now.

Getting up, she didn't even bother to move her gaze about. She'd lost track of the amount of times she had to go through this. Having woken up in this room so many times now, every detail of this room had been burnt into her mind, so much that she just wanted to forget it.

The nearby desk with a purple pen, a glass of water, and the admittance information slip on it. The bright morning sunlight, penetrating diagonally towards her through open gaps in the wide blue curtains. The opened window near at the end to the right which was open, allowing the sounds of blowing wind to come in. The rolling stand in front of her bed. The pale turquoise blue sky showcased in the window not too far behind it, with two small clouds, one them obscuring the top-left corner, and the other of which would float out of her current line of sight within the next seven minutes, with green trees visible below. The bird that would begin chirping within the next three minutes and stop within the next. The nurse who would come to meet her within ten minutes to inform her about the discharge, at which time she would already be ready to leave.

There was no need to glance at the calendar behind her, which had the '16th' all scribbled over. Once upon a time, Homura might've been excited about this day, but that was long before she had to relieve it over and over again.

Homura picked herself up from the bed, only to find her arms wobble as she did so. That was odd, but she quickly dismissed it as her own weakness. There was also a throbbing in her head, and a numb feeling in her chest. She couldn't let things like these get to her.

She'd managed to get this far, after all.

_This time, I will definitely save Madoka._

With determination, she threw off the sheets and jumped down from the bed…

…only for her feet to lose their balance, and Homura hit to the floor hard on her face.

She took a moment to groan out in pain.

_What's wrong with me?! _Convinced that this was a result of her own mental state of mind, she scolded herself. _Get up!_

Gathering her strength, Homura picked herself back up. There was a pain in her chest and slight numbness around her right cheek, but she dismissed it. It was unimportant. What _was_ important was Madoka needed her right now. She couldn't just stand around here and do nothing. Reaching out for her Soul Gem, she suddenly realized that it wasn't there.

_Calm down. I must have misplaced it somewhere. Maybe it's on me somewhere, or maybe I left it in the bed. I can't let myself worry about that right now._

Upon reassuring herself, Homura took a step forward. It was weaker than usual, but after a bit of thought, it was only natural. It looked as if the past was finally catching up to her.

Brushing it off, she forced herself to retain her balance and made her way to the bathroom.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she looked reminiscent of a certain girl she used to be, only with a sharply cold look behind those purple eyes. Apart from that, it also looked tired somehow, most likely just from the stress, something she could easily overcome. She untangled her thickly-braided, letting her dark hair flow straight. Then she moved to take off her red-framed glasses.

All of a sudden, everything around her blurred.

In confusion, she put them back on again, and her sight returned back to normal. There was something really strange going on here.

But it was most likely just fatigue. Stress. What was that thing called again? Post-traumatic stress disorder? It was probably that. But she had come this far, so she couldn't let something like that hinder her now.

Taking off her glasses again, she stubbornly tried to force her eyes into focusing on her surroundings as she left the room and sat back down on the hospital bed.

Any minute now, her body should return back to normal.

_Breathe. _

All she needed was a little relaxation, and then she'd be good as new.

_Relax._

_This time for sure._

_This time, I'll definitely save her!_

…

Nothing was happening.

As she sat, a thought crossed Homura's mind – _I can't waste my time here. _

Having learned from countless experience, anything could happen. One event easily led to another, and even if she did nothing, things changed. Like the timeline when that Kyousuke guy used a guitar instead of a violin for some reason, or the timeline when someone called Oriko showed up out of nowhere and royally screwed up all of her plans.

She had spent so much time repeating the same formaics over and over again that it was beginning to get really distracting. Even the tiniest factor could potentially change what she understood about this timeline and influence _her_ decision into making a contract.

_But this time,_ she decided, _I won't let that happen._

Forcing her body to move normally even though it was feeling so weak, she went towards the open window and felt fresh air blow against her skin, though that wasn't her intention. The winds were a little heavy from up here, and glancing at the surface below, it appeared to be just two or three stories in height. This height was nothing to someone like her, who'd previously dropped from skyscrapers without any problem.

Still, it was getting difficult to breathe for some reason, and her heart was beginning to beat faster as she felt something dull press against it. Maybe it was panic.

Homura was a Puella Magi, and thus, something like this should be nothing to her. Her body had to be reminded that it wasn't human anymore. For Madoka.

All this, for the one goal of saving Madoka. Nothing else mattered. Not this hospital, not school, not her parents, just Madoka.

"With my own power, I'll carve a future for the two of us," she swore to herself in conviction.

That said, Homura pulled the window fully open with all her strength. The ground looked a long way away, but to a magical girl, it was nothing. As her heart raced, the throbbing in her chest had begun to intensify.

She ignored it to the best of her ability, forcing her terrified body to move forward, and prepared to leap out—

**"OH MY GOD!"**

The sound of a nurse's shriek echoed throughout the entire hospital hallway.

* * *

Friday, March 18th

Akemi Homura should've been discharged two days ago.

Instead, she had to spend another two days going through psychiatric treatment over what was perceived as an attempted suicide. As much as she protested against it, the hospital viewed her action as such based on the nurse's report.

What had happened was that right after the nurse shrieked, a surprised Homura lost her grip and awkwardly stumbled back onto the floor.

It was only a couple of hours later after the event that she was speaking with a therapist and a report had been filed to her parents – wait, parents?

She'd almost forgotten she had such people. They were always so busy, but due to this, she doubted that they would ever notice her circumstances. Having never bothered to send a message or anything to her in all this time, in every alternate timeline, why start now?

In any case, Homura had to keep on insisting that it was only a misunderstanding. While they still weren't convinced, the hospital reluctantly relented and allowed her to leave today.

Two days late.

So far, everything about this timeline had turned out to be absolutely infuriating. She wouldn't be surprised if she arrived at Mitakihara Middle School only to find out that Madoka had already made a contract.

Then there was the _core_ of the problem, something that would take a while to get used to.

When she first realized it, she began screaming at how horrible this timeline had turned out so far and let her frustration out on a pillow, which only served to reinforce the hospital's belief that she was suicidal. Her Soul Gem wasn't gone because she lost it. It was gone because it had just stopped existing, taking all of her powers with it. Her soul was back where it belonged. Apparently, she was human again.

Right now, Homura was just a frail little girl with heart disease, serious mental issues, and a pair of glasses.

There was no way she could protect Madoka like this. She wasn't even sure if she could reset the timeline in this state.

Right now, all she wanted to do was shove a grenade down Kyubey's throat.

But there was _some_ hope. Maybe Kyubey didn't exist in this timeline, which explained why she didn't have her powers anymore. If that was the case, then Madoka could live an ordinary life without any witches or insane magical girls to suddenly step in and threaten her life. Yet even so . . . as much as she wanted to believe it, she couldn't convince herself about the fact. It was too difficult to believe that the Incubator would just disappear like that. Just in case, she would have to stay on guard at all times.

At this point, she couldn't let herself be stricken by this. Even with this minor setback, she had to keep going!

Trying to motivate herself and make the best out of this hopeless situation, Homura spent her final hour at the hospital writing on a blank piece of paper, jotting down everything she planned on doing once she and Madoka had gotten past Walpurgis Night safely. It wasn't exactly healthy to think about the future when there were so many challenges to overcome in the present, but as long as she could keep herself going, she was sure she could do anything.

Once she was done, Homura crumpled up the piece of paper and threw it into a trashcan. If anyone ended up reading it, things would end up too troublesome.

Walking out of the hospital with a blank smile on her face, if such a thing was even possible, she tried to look hopeful for the future. In her right hand, she held a box of medications that contained multiple pills and syrups that she would need to take for the next . . . six months? Year? Two years? The doctors weren't sure, but at least until she could make a full recovery. There was no way she could take on Walpurgis Night this way.

She really needed to stop thinking about her own circumstances. Even though she was behind schedule, she had learned a lot from her previous experiences, so surely this body of hers wouldn't make too much of a difference.

"Nyan!"

A black cat?

Running past a group of bicycles, it paused to glance at her before going off by itself towards the main road with total disregard as to its surroundings. She couldn't help but have a feeling that she was forgetting something as she watched it.

Wait.

_Madoka's original wish was_—

There was no way. It had to be a different one. After she first made her contract with Kyubey, it disappeared as if it had never existed in the first place. Therefore, there was no way they could be the same, right? Right? Right?!It was just a stray, and there were plenty of black cats anyway out there in the world. It wouldn't be the first time she had mistaken a stray cat for Amy.

But wait, wait, just wait.

_Today is_—

March the 18th, the day Madoka would first make a contract.

She had always been there to stop her behind the scenes, but at the moment, she was utterly powerless. This was bad, bad, bad, seriously seriously bad.

Frozen, Homura panicked silently to herself, and she could feel her heart throb as if resonating with her terror. Madoka couldn't be allowed to make the contract. She made a promise to stop her from ever doing such a thing, and right now, just thinking about it terrified her.

_Calm down, Homura. _

She couldn't calm down.

_Calm down.  
_

In fact, she felt like she was hyperventilating.

_You have to calm down! _

Madoka was going to make a contract, die a horrible death again, and she wouldn't be able to do anything to help her poor friend, and everybody was going to DIE, and this entire city would once more get annihilated by some spinning witch, while Incubator would be sitting in a room LAUGHING ABOUT EVERYONE'S SUFFERING like the emotionless bastard he was

**"CALM DOWN!"**

Shouting at herself somehow did the trick.

Looking away awkwardly from the confused stares of passersby, Homura gripped her glasses tightly as she ran off into the direction of the cat. She couldn't take any chances this time. She had to save Madoka no matter what!

_—_but although her determination was burning bright, she found that her feet wouldn't move as fast as she wanted them to, forcing her to jog desperately against a world of darkness and everything in it. After a moment or two, it couldn't even be called a jog. She had quickly depleted her painfully-low stamina and now she was just sort of wobbling forward. Any onlookers would probably think she was drunk.

Having gotten used to having the powers of a magical girl, being reverted back to such a state was pitiful.

By the time Homura arrived to the main road, she felt like she had run a marathon, and took her time so she could catch her breath. But as pitiful as it was, it would be hypocrital for her to want her Puella Magi powers back, so she tried to savor her newfound humanity.

It was difficult.

Shaking her head, Homura tried to get her thoughts in order.

_I acted too hastily, _she mentally told herself, and began to formulate a plan.

_What I need to do first is get home, build some grenades, and buy a baseball bat. Afterwards, I'll disguise myself as a bush, lie in wait by Madoka's house, and hide until Kyubey shows up so I can pound him into oblivion and then demand some answers about my current circumstances. Then I'll convince him that he shouldn't even think about making a contract with Madoka, or . . . else . . .?_

Homura's train of thought was disrupted by a sudden, cute little sound.

"Nyan."

Even though she didn't have her shield, time stood still. Maybe it was because of her experience as a magical girl, but at that one moment, her mind analyzed everything.

Right in front of her was the same black cat as earlier, crossing the street at a casual pace as if it was daring the universe to throw something at it. The universe had responded in kind, and a black car to the left was driving at a fast pace, quite possibly beyond the speed limit. There was no way it would stop in time for the cat. It was going to die. Amy – if it _was_ Amy – was going to die.

As she recalled, Madoka's wish had been to revive the cat after it was hit by a car. A very noble wish, and it was that sort of personality that she loved so much, but Homura couldn't let her contract.

Fortunately, since Madoka was nowhere in sight, maybe she could simply dispose of the body before she went past this area so she would never know about it. It shouldn't be too difficult, right?

But, in the next split second as her gaze moved to the right, her heart skipped a beat.

That wasn't an option anymore.

_Mado_—?

There wasn't any more time for thinking. If she was going to do this, she had to do this _now_.

_SAVE THAT CAT!  
_

As ridiculous as it was, she let go of the box in her hands and found her found her feet rushing forward onto the road. Her surroundings no longer registered into her mind, as right now, the only thing that was important was saving that cat.

However, she wasn't moving fast enough.

She felt a burst of wind to her left, and as it appeared, the car was already very _very_ close. If she had to make an estimate, it was but a dozen meters away. She hadn't even managed to grab the cat yet. Right here, at this very moment, she could die.

Akemi Homura could die right here, trying to save the life of a cat, of all things.

After all that she'd been through, enduring tons and tons of Walpurgis Nights, she was about to die in a car crash of all things.

_Do you want MADOKA TO CRY OVER YOUR DEAD BODY?!  
_

There wasn't any time left to regret this decision. She just _couldn't_ let herself die here, not when her truest friend was here watching!

And she couldn't let that cat die either.

If it died, Kyubey would take advantage of its dead body to make a contract with Madoka for sure. Plus, if she couldn't even save some stray cat, how did she expect to save Madoka?

Pushing her body beyond its limits, the raven-haired girl closed her eyes, let her senses drift off, and imagined that she was running into Madoka's arms. Her muscles were burning, but she imagined what the innocent-eyed girl's smiling face might be like, even imagining things that were almost crazy such as a dress – it would without a doubt be pink, with a matching flower by her right shoulder and a long veil. Wasn't that a wedding dress? No time to think about that

With her arms out wide, Homura almost felt weightless. Well. As much as she wanted it, she wasn't this delusional. If only reality wasn't so screwed up about these things.

She leapt forth.

Managing to grab the cat in time, Homura felt a huge object zoom past her at incredible speeds, very nearly missing it. It might've even scraped past the sole of her right shoe.

Hitting the rough ground with a heavy thud, her glasses falling off, she was exhausted. But happy.

_I—_

_I made it._

Despite the odds, she somehow made it out alive.

For now, anyway.

A pounding pain ate away at her heart, every nerve on Homura's body felt like they were on fire, and heavy pants escaped her mouth. Maybe she'd pushed her body a little too much. As much as she tried to breathe, she couldn't. The air tasted stale. Even though she was a human, she felt like a suffocating fish.

A faint memory of what felt like many years ago floated up to the surface, a certain March the 15th when she was warned by her doctor that she shouldn't overexert her body or else she could damage her heart. Something about inadequate blood flow to the heart combined with a dangerous build-up of cholesterol.

This was pathetic. Even after risking her life and successfully getting away with it, she was going to die anyway from something as minor as heart overexertion.

. . . Mado . . . ka . . .

How humiliating.

The only comfort she could take in this was the furry creature on her chest, the assurance that she had successfully saved the cat.

It then crawled out of her grasp, not that she blamed it for doing so. She probably wouldn't want to be held by a seemingly-suicidal panting maniac either, well, unless it was Madoka.

Speaking of Madoka, she couldn't help but wonder to herself what she would say in this sort of situation. If the girl ever saw her like this, she'd probably say something along the lines of—

"U- um, hey, are you alright?"

Yes. Just like that.

That tone of worry mixed in with amounts shock and panic, the same tone that was used whether it was her closest friend or a complete stranger who'd just done something stupid in front of her. Because that girl cared for all living things. The way it sounded, it was perfect in every way. Homura couldn't help but praise her own imagination for how vividly she had managed to imagine Madoka's voice, and savored it for what it was worth.

Wait.

Although Homura felt like she was forgetting something very important, she didn't have any strength left to figure anything out. At the moment, the world was retreating before her very eyes.

"H- h- hey?!"

A shade of pink. The warmth of two petite arms as they tried to support a frail body.

Those were the last two things that registered into her mind before she plunged into darkness.

* * *

**If anyone asks, no, I do not not take pleasure in writing about Homura's suffering. Honestly. I don't. But I _am_ going to enjoy writing about this story. I had a heart problem myself once, sooo that makes writing about Homuhomu's problems a lot easier.  
**

**This is still just the introductory chapter. After this, I can move onto the wonderful interactions she'll have with everyone else and revel in her suffering as she tries to catch up with everyone else.**

**But don't be mistaken - the true suffering hasn't even begun yet~ muahahahahah!  
**


	2. Just leave her alone!

**Yes, yes, I know I update incredibly slowly :"I  
**

* * *

_Ma..._

Everything around her was in a haze, consumed in a swirl of darkness. Her head felt like it was spinning, and there was a thumping in her heart. She felt cold. Exhausted. How did she end up here? It hurt to try and remember anything, but she still tried her hardest to think back. Something about magical girls. An Incubator. Time. A mission that she couldn't ever abandon. Someone she had to save. A girl. A precious friend.

Her mouth opened.

"Mado..."

No matter what happened, there was no way she couldn't ever let herself forget that. In this world, it was her one and only comfort. For it was precious to her, but at the same time, so far away.

"You're finally awake!" A voice chimed in cheerfully, with a relieved tone. "I was so worried!"

_MADOKA?! _Homura's eyes snapped open, all of her memories rushing up to the surface.

"Uh, um, is something the matter?"

Madoka shifted uncomfortably for a moment at her strange lack of response and quietness, as well as the fact that she was being stared at. Although Homura was still a little disorientated, as soon as she realized that she was acting weirdly, she quickly turned away and muttered an apology.

Through the lens of her glasses, she could see that it had gotten a lot darker than when she left the hospital, and that her body was lying on the bench of a bus stop. So after saving that cat, was she found by Madoka? Her mind putting the pieces together, she could pretty much tell what happened while she was out.

"Sorry," Homura said quickly, looking back. "For wasting your time, I mean. It must've taken a while for me to wake."

"Mm, it's okay." Madoka shook her head with a smile. "You were really brave out there, you know, jumping in to save that cat! I don't think anyone else would've done it."

"I wasn't thinking though. I could've easily died."

"When you collapsed, I was really worried and thought for a second that you might've been hit after all!"

Sighing in relief, she clasped her hands together and looked at Homura, unaware of the fact that she was making the girl's heart beat faster.

"I'm really, really glad you made it."

A light, lumiscent blush began to glow on Homura's cheeks.

Now that she was thinking straight, it was getting more and more difficult to ignore the fact that they were sitting directly next to each other, enough for one of them to lie against the other. But she resisted the urge and tried to act natural. In truth, she wasn't actually sure whether to go through with this or push Madoka away, but this was a rare opportunity. Without her powers, she needed all the ground she could get in this timeline.

"Oh, that reminds me," Madoka said suddenly, and reached down under the bench as if to pick something up. "You dropped your um, things, when you rescued that cat, so I brought them here with me for you. Here."

Holding out the white box with a single green stripe, the one from the hospital, Homura felt embarrassed as she took it. There was no doubt that Madoka would know that it came from the hospital, and if she'd looked inside, it might affect the way she thought about her. The amount of medications inside would be enough to make anyone dizzy.

"So um, hope you don't mind me asking, but are you sick?"

"Yes. I have arrhythmia," Homura said with her eyes shut. "It's a heart problem. If I strain myself too much, I can easily collapse."

At this, Madoka looked worried.

"But then why did you…"

"I simply couldn't let it die. That's all." Opening her eyes again, she stated this in a cool tone while crossing her legs. "It was a duty I had to fulfill."

"Wow, that's really cool... " As the younger girl looked on in admiration, Homura kept her breathing steady, being secretly glad that it was already dark. Otherwise, her blushing face would've been plain and clear.

After a passing silence, Madoka continued, "Um! If you don't mind, what's your name?"

"Akemi Homura."

"Eh?! You even have a cool name to match!"

If this continued, then she might end up having another heart attack out of sheer embarrassment. It was even beating faster.

"What about you?" Homura asked. Not that she didn't know, but she didn't want to accidentally raise any suspicions. "What's yours?"

"I'm Kaname Madoka. It's nice to meet you!" After introducing herself, the pinkette pouted. "It's not nearly as cool a name as yours though, Homura-chan."

"Madoka means 'circle'. It's simple, but I think it's cute," Homura reassured her with a smile.

"T- thanks, I guess," Madoka replied awkwardly. "But you know, it's written in hiragana..."

"Don't put yourself down. For example, I have severe heart disease, but what do I look like?"

"You look very gloomy, Homura-chan."

A baffled expression formed on the raven-haired girl's face.

"Eh—?"

* * *

Saturday, March the 19th

Homura wiped sweat away from her forehead, before putting the manual onto the desk in front of her once she was finished. That should do it. Using the instructions from _Hara Hara Tokei_ as well as materials she bought on the way, she had successfully created a set of grenades to help with her mission.

There were still some things she retained from the previous timelines, and even if she no longer had her magical girl powers, this way she wasn't completely defenseless against Witches and their familiars.

This apartment had been an expensive one, coming with a unique design and many ultramodern settings from within, and when she took out the keys to open it a short while ago, she remembered how her parents had given her this before leaving her on her own. For many timelines now, she'd been taking it for granted, so it was strange to remember this now of all times.

She glanced at her phone, which now had Madoka's number. Only a single contact, but the thought of it was comforting. It was a miracle that they'd managed to become friends this fast as well.

Looking at the time, it looked to be almost one o'clock in the morning. It wouldn't be long now until Kyubey made his first appearance, and she could remember the exact time that he would appear on Madoka's windowsill. While she knew that she couldn't prevent their meeting, at the very least, she could delay it. Taking a golf-stick along with her and putting on a thick jacket with a hood, she left the residence before heading out towards Madoka's house.

Her body felt weak and tired, her mind sleepy, but she dismissed it and pressed on. The Kaname residence wasn't that far, located within a suburb north from her home, so it didn't take long to reach. As expected, all the lights inside of the modernist house were off, but she hid within the outside bushes just in case. Any second now, and that bastard demon would appear.

As she waited, she briefly entertained the possibility that he might not exist in this timeline. If that were so, then there wouldn't be anything left for her to worry about, and she would be able to enjoy this new future without having to do anything. There wouldn't be any Puella Magi, or Witches, or despair. No Walpurgis Night to worry about, and no need to be so concerned over her friends. The time ticking by without anything out of the unusual showing up, her hopes for this were starting to rise—

But they were shot down completely as a familiar feline creature, with white fur, haloed long ears, and ruby eyes descended from the skies and landed onto the ground in front of the house.

There needed no further proof.

_"What the—?"_

Kyubey was caught completely off-guard as a girl with a bloodlusted look suddenly jumped out of the bushes and pummeled him to death without mercy.

Constantly beating his defenseless body over and over again while trying to make as little sound as possible, devoid of any remorse, the only thing left when it was over was an unrecognizable, fluffy, bloody mess.

Homura wasn't sure whether this was a triumph or not. She had delayed Incubator's contact with Madoka for the time being, but now she knew that nothing else had changed apart from her own predicament. If things were like this, then there was no telling how many more times she would have to put her life on the line in order to accomplish her goal.

Having come prepared, she scooped up the remains using her hands and put them into a plastic bag, leaving the area before her presence could be noticed. In the middle of the night, with a hoodie that shadowed her face, a golf-stick with dark stains on it, a plastic bag with blood-red splotches, her footsteps uneven, she must've looked incredibly suspicious. But although she felt faint, she had to keep on going until she could reach and store the 'trash'.

She'd heard that in western cities, disposing of things were much easier. There were trashcans lining the streets, and nobody ever bothered to sort them out. It sounded disgusting, but it would've been extremely convenient if there was something like that here. But instead, she would have to hide it inside her own home.

Just as she arrived back, facing an aging European-style building that contrasted with the modern interior, she found a second Kyubey sitting patiently in front of the door.

_"You can see me, so that means you have magical potential," _he stated in a calm, cute voice, disguising the heart of an utter monster._ "But why did you do that? I don't get it."_

The creature gestured towards the plastic bag in her hands, and even though he knew that it carried the remains of his own kind, he showed no trace of caring. It was no surprise, since it didn't possess any emotions.

Gritting her teeth together, trying to contain her anger, Homura responded.

"Leave Madoka alone."

_"Why?"_That was more than enough to make her snap.

"Do I need a reason?!" Withdrawing the golf-stick using her free hand, she threw it towards him with a yell. However, he ignored this, letting it sail over his head and slam into the wooden door behind him, opening it while leaving a slight mark. "Just leave her alone! Don't make a contract with her!"

Kyubey remained nonchalant at her words, keeping that catlike smile fixed on his face.

_"You're not making any sense. Explain."_

"JUST DO IT!"

Its tail swinging to and fro, the Incubator remained quiet for a few seconds, as if thinking about it.

_"Well, perhaps if you can find someone else in her place, approaching her may not be necessary," _he told her after some consideration.

Without even stopping to think, Homura threw the plastic bag straight towards him. Inches before it hit, Kyubey telekinetically froze it in mid-air before tipping it over, letting its disturbing contents spill onto the ground. A nasty smell came from it. Then he observed the fluffy remains for a short moment, as if examining it for its nutrition.

Knowing what would follow and knowing that her stomach most likely wouldn't be able to take it, Homura ran back into her home and slammed the door shut just as the sounds of crunching began.

Even afterwards, they could be heard outside, but they were eventually drowned out by her own tears and sobbing. This was the worst thing that could ever possibly happen. Would she really sacrifice other people for her own gain? And even if she did, was there any guarantee that Kyubey would stay true to his words?

So far, it appeared as though she was powerless to stop anything, to _change_ anything. There wasn't ANYTHING she could do like this, and things weren't going to change. In fact, they were probably going to get even worse. The only option left, it seemed was to make a contract.

But . . . she knew that she had to conserve her wish. She knew that it was her greatest trump card, and that wasting it wouldn't do any good.

Upon making her way back to her room, Homura spent the last five minutes taking some of the many medications laid out for her, before crying herself to sleep.

* * *

Later that day, sometime in the afternoon after school hours, Homura decided to make a call.

"Eh? You're transferring into my school?! Into the same class?!"

Madoka sounded really surprised, unable to contain her shock even over the phone. Homura smiled a bit at this. She never actually thought about it before, but it was nice to have a friend to make her first, lonely week seem more colorful.

"Yes. Due to instructions from the hospital, I'm supposed to limit any movement and take a week of rest, but things should be sorted out by next Friday."

"Oh, o- okay, um... Oh yeah! I'm the nurse office's assistant, so if you're feeling weak, just tell me, alright?"

"Got it," said Homura with a nod, forgetting for a second that she was on the phone. Then, sensing an opportunity, "oh, Madoka, if someone gives you a chance to grant your wish, don't acce—"

She cut herself off as she heard someone call out in the background, resembling Sayaka's voice. Shortly afterwards, Madoka returned to the phone with a concerned tone.

"Um, sorry, Homura-chan, I'm gonna go out with my friends now. You can take care of yourself, right? Sure there's no need for me to come over?"

It couldn't be helped. "I'm fine by myself. What's important is that you have fun. Don't let me stop you."

"Well, if you say so… I'll introduce you to Sayaka-chan and Hitomi-chan when you come, okay? See ya!" And with that, the call ended.

Upon placing her phone on a desk besides the bed, she sighed heavily. That conversation really exhausted her, and though she did try, she couldn't find a single opportunity to talk to Madoka about wishes. Or maybe she did, but she was just reluctant to bring it up. After a bit of reflection, she decided that it was probably the latter.

In the previous timelines, Homura would have spent this time gathering necessary equipment from the Yakuza and military, in preparation for the time when Walpurgisnacht finally appeared. But right now, there honestly wasn't much she could do but rest and recover. The past few days had drained her of what little energy she had. For now, all she could do was wait and see how things progressed.

With enough luck, she may still be able to grab a hold of this circle before it spiraled out of control.

* * *

**Nothing much happens in this chapter, but things should begin to escalate by the third chapter, starting off an inevitable chain reaction~  
**

**Well, if you liked it, then reviews and stuff would be appreciated~ :D**


End file.
